Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-21

|hich often drove poor little
Clochette wild. She was ever orderinG
things, not because she REQUIRED. but
i&hcled them; spending money in pro-
fuslon, without considering for what
senolng from her table the most recherche
dlshes, the most expensive fruits, and
even wines, on pEeteXts the most silly r:
and needless of the thought thas even
the crumbs from her table would have
supplied the desperate wants Of many.
She was Sybarite, VINO knew nothing
o. The times Of the poor and needy, and
evidently thought tibet all tire world
should drink from rare Bohemian crystal,
eat OF plate or Dresden CLina., wear
priceless Jewels, the softest Of linen, the
richest Of lace, Of satin, of silk, and
velvet.
Verify the lines OF her life had fallen in
soft places,
What strange world it is" thought
Melanie, IS she contrested her aunt's
fortune and heart with her own, and
those Of others who were dear to her.
what 0 mystery and worry! Does
everything go by the rule of contrary ~
Melanie thought how much her Aunt
Chillington, with all her wealth, could do
and might have done, to relieve Uncle
GrimshaW Of his grudgingly borne bur
den, and to further the prospects Of their
orphan niece and nephews; and vet she
did nothing beyond bringing her, Me
LAME, forward once, in the hope that her
undoubted beauty might raise her rich,
perhaps titled marriage, and take her of
their hands for life.
OnC6t n No {,1I
thought Melanie; "but am not"
The income of her Uncle Grimshaw was
barely sufficient for all-nothing more
and left no margin, beyond yearly ex-
penses, for indulging in visits to London,
Brighton or Scarborough, where "eligi-
bles" were supposed to be found; and
thus, till the invitation referred to, in
which MelanIe met her 'fate," she had
only shone in the limited circle OF g vii
lege, not far from the "Three Shires
Stone"
II he-natuTally cold and selfish man
thought ABOUT her real interests st all,
it was only when he dreamed OF the time
when her beauty should procure her a
rich marriage of any kind and bring TO
her (and to himself too, if possiOle) the
only tb' lg he cared for in this world
money
Tn on going to ChiIlington Park,
Melanie vowed that, if opportunity were
given, no childish visions OF love, no
dreams OF romance should come between
her and riches, could she win them. She
had known so much CT compare
tive poverty, with lis depriYations,
humilistions and attendant curses. And
yet, in that vow, she had
belied her genuine and her gen
erous nature; for in the society to which
her aunt introduced her, she had net one
Whom-aJ we have shoWn-she preferred
to ell the wealth and position Sir Brjscc
Brsybrooke was ready TO lRy at her feet
The past family history of Melanie was
rather sad one.
| Her father, brave officer;of the Bengs
Infantry, had fallen into wretched anG
disastrous conflict of the Bhotan war, a.
the storming OF a hill-fort, on the snowy
slopes OF the Himalay.s. And her mother
young and delicate, did not survive hi:
death many months, and left Melanie witt
TWO brothers 10 the care Of theil
bachelor uncle, Mr.. Gideon Grinshaw
VINO had been "something'' in the city,
but was now retired from business sc
NE1IS5S Suu O!lCulu hAC" ALL III
more, and ne vegetated on slender means
in a village of 0xfordshire, after nsnJ
| and serious losses.
Money that had accrued to the orphans
not much certainly-hsd been unwiselJ
invested by Mr.. GrimshaW in colo
mine that, as is too often the case, hat
no gold in it; thus the money slipped
through his fingers, and he kept hi!
thumb upon that part OF the family his
tory.
To more unwilling hands they coulc
scarcely have been trusted by their wild,
owed mother, and he had received then
then, if not ungrsciously, st least withou
warmth and without affection.
He was confirmed and "grumpY" OLE
bachelor, and abhnrred all change or in
vssion in the routine Of his life; yet, TO
his own credit, he had given Melanie 81
excellent education as masters and gov.
ernesses could bestow, and after school
ing her elder brother, Reginald, till b.